The Daily Telegraph -Thursday 31 July 1997

By Hugo Gurdon in Washington

RELATIONS between America and China took a further turn for the worse yesterday as Washington brushed aside Beijing's objections and confirmed that it will appoint a "special co-ordinator" for Tibet.

The Chinese government condemned the move, which it sees as meddling in its internal affairs. China's communist regime has occupied Tibet since 1950.

A Chinese embassy spokesman in Washington said: "The United States State Department says this is not a diplomatic post because the special co-ordinator is not at the ambassadorial level. But we do not see any difference between a special co-ordinator and a special envoy."

That distinction without a difference appears to be precisely what Madeleine Albright, the United States Secretary of State, wants. Mrs Albright is attempting to appease a powerful lobby in Congress that is preparing legislation to force the appointment of an ambassador-level envoy for Tibet.

An administration official said: "We are prepared to have someone working in the State Department to see that the religious freedom of Tibetans is promoted and that their ethnicity is respected."

Chinese officials have been lobbying for weeks to prevent the move.